


Epping Is the Last Stop

by Ewebie



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 2 characters, 221bcon, F/F, Molly Hooper - Freeform, On the Tube, Random Prompts, Sally Donovan - Freeform, do not copy to another site, flashfic, with no mobile signal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 10:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18386222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ewebie/pseuds/Ewebie
Summary: Flashfic Challenge - Sunday 13:00pm2 Characters: Sally Donovan + Molly Hooper1 Place: In the tube/on a train +/- station1 Prompt: No mobile signal30 minute writing sprint





	Epping Is the Last Stop

It was late enough that the tube was mercifully quiet. Not many people trying to catch the last train out to Epping. Most people had the sense to be well out of the city with the heat wave. Sally shifted against the seat, trying to keep from sticking to the faux leather of the bench. God, the weather was atrocious. Not even the heat, but the humidity! No wonder everyone and their mother was busy stabbing each other. If she spent one more day, standing in the middle of a baking carpark, listening to some moron try to justify clocking another idiot… Well, that’d just be making more work for the Met.

The train slowed and squealed, pulling into the next station with violent rock and the flicker of the lights. The train car emptied, and only a handful of people meandered in. Most of them moved down the train, finding another car to occupy. Spreading like liquid to take up further space. One of the new passengers hesitated, grinning down at her before taking the opposite bench. Great. Fantastic.

“Hey babe.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You ride this train often?”

She crossed her arms firmly across her chest and tried to look as disinterested as possible.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!”

“Ah, piss off,” she muttered.

“Bitch.”

She tilted her head and glared at him. She had a full collection of glares on hand for deserving. There was one that said, God, you’re fucking annoying, but I’d miss you if I killed you. There was another that said, That may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever head and you should be ashamed of yourself. There was a third that actually involved her reciting the Right to Silence and process for appropriate use of force in arrest situations. This one was simply said, You’re lower than the crud on my shoe and I’ll thank you to fuck right off.

“You know,” he started, leaning forward.

Oh, that’s the kind of night it was… She ran through the possible ways to kill him in the train car and make it look like an accident. She flicked open the corner of her blazer where her badge sat clipped to her belt. “Met.”

“Aw fuck off.” He got up and headed down the train, probably looking for another person to harass.

Sally sighed and closed her eyes. What a shit night. Someone else dropped into the seat across the way and if she made it all the way home without someone new dying, it was going to be a miracle. She blinked her eyes open with a sharp rebuke ready and nearly bit her own tongue.

“Hi,” Molly gave a small wave.

“Dr. Hooper,” Sally grinned. “Long day?”

“Oh, yeah. You know how it is. Busy when there’s so much heat and all.” She swept her ponytail back over her shoulder. “I mean. At least there’s air conditioning. In the morgue. Because… Well. It went out once, and that was just…” She shook her head as if to clear the memory.

Sally snorted. “I can only imagine.”

“Sorry… For you know…” Molly gestured at the otherwise empty car. “There was just this guy and… Friendly face and all.”

“Not at all.” The train rocked again and squealed. The lights flickered and popped back on. “If he’s harassing everyone, maybe I ought to go cuff him to the third rail.”

Molly laughed. “You’d make work for me.”

“Ha!” Maybe the night was looking up. “Where’s home?”

“Oh, out in Epping. Last stop and all. Long-“

The light cut out entirely as the train screeched to a halt. Sally threw her arm out to catch herself from landing on the floor and Molly thudded into the side of the bench across the way.

The near silence of an unmoving train is disconcerting. Sally squinted into the dark as the hot metal clicked and settled from around the tunnel. “Alright?”

“Yeah. Fine,” Molly called back.

When no announcement immediately came over the speakers, Sally swore and fished her mobile out. “Where is that bloody emergency bell?” She used her screen to find it and punched it with no response. She punched it again and wondered if it was just as broken as the train. “Damn.”

“Hey, any signal?” Molly was frowning at her screen.

“Absolutely nothing.” Bloody great. She just wanted to get home and have a beer and probably have a cold shower. And now this.

“Well there go my plans,” Molly muttered.

“Missing a date?”

Molly laughed as though the thought were uproariously funny. “Me?”

“That a no?” Sally couldn’t help but chuckle.

“No. Not at all. I have a bottle of chardonnay in my fridge and a cat that needs dinner. He’s quite demanding now that I think of it. You?”

“Beer. And a half dead fichus. No date either.”

Molly bit her lip. “Do you drink chardonnay?”

A slow smile stretched across Sally’s face. “I do. With the right company.”

_Bing_ “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the delay. The heat has caused some technical issues and we will be underway in the next few minutes.”

“It wouldn’t be too far out of your way?”

“Epping is my stop too.”


End file.
